This invention pertains to a unique, environment-enhancing, concept for effectively utilizing material which had heretofore been considered to be a waste product.
Modern offices are substantially dependent upon photocopying machines which utilize dry toner material. However, in the manufacture of such material, in order to maintain adequate and proper quality control for photocopying operations, that material produced during the toner manufacturing operation which is smaller than that deemed acceptable for photocopying is discarded as a waste material.
The inability to use the manufactured fines, the manpower and energy requirements involved in removing and disposing of the fines, and the effort involved in finding suitable waste storage sites, produce, in the aggregate, a not insubstantial or inexpensive burden upon toner manufacturers, customers, and the public at large.
This invention uniquely recognizes that the diverted toner fines material may be effectively employed as a dry powder, charge-responsive spray media for coating purposes, thereby avoiding the problems associated with waste material handling and providing a revenue enhancing aspect for the toner manufacturing operation.
As used in the ensuing description and claims, the term "charge-responsive" generally refers to particle spraying techniques wherein a particle is impelled toward and adhered to a surface or article to be coated (or assisted in such impelling and adherence) in response to the presence of an electrical charge. Such a charge may be electrically imparted to spray particles as in the case of conventional, electrostatic spraying, or may be mechanically induced by friction, as in the case of so-called "tribo guns", or otherwise provided with a charge status. Permanent adherence of particles may require the application of particle-fusing heat.
Through this invention, it has been discovered that toner fines or residue discarded in photocopier toner manufacturing operations are particularly amenable to use in charge-responsive, spray coating operations.
It is noted that the charge-responsive spray coating art itself has recognized the possibility of recycling and reusing undeposited dry spray powder materials during spraying operations. Representative of such prior art disclosures are the following:
______________________________________ PATENT # PATENTEE TITLE ______________________________________ 3,901,184/ Payne et al Pneumatic Powder Flow Aug. 26, 1975 Diverting Device 4,212,266/ Payne et al Catcher And Return Jul. 15, 1980 Device For Oversprayed Powder ______________________________________
The substantial disparity in technologies involved in the manufacture of photocopy toner materials and charge-responsive spray coating doubtless has contributed to the failure in the dry toner manufacturing art to recognize the possibilities of utilizing segregated photocopier toner fines as an effective spray coating material. This is especially true since this material is uniquely operable to provide durable and attractive polymeric finishes, often of a lustrous black nature, where the toner material itself is black.
At this juncture, it is also to be recognized that in the prior art there are recognitions of a variety of materials including resin components, additives, etc. which are employed as coating media, representative of which are the following:
______________________________________ PATENT # PATENTEE TITLE ______________________________________ 2,321,587/ Davie et al Electrical Conductive June 15, 1943 Coating 2,718,506/ Elleman Electrically Sept. 20, 1955 Conducting Coating Compositions Containing A Nonoxidized Magnetic Metal Powder 2,992,425/ Pratt Nondirectional, Metal- Oct. 12, 1945 Backed, Electro- magnetic Radiation- Absorptive Films 3,816,836/ Smith Shielded Instrument June 11, 1974 Panel For Use With A Windshield Radio Antenna 4,218,507/ Deffeyes et al Coated Particles And Aug. 19, 1980 Process Of Preparing Same 4,474,676/ Ishino et al Electromagnetic Oct. 2, 1984 Interference Shielding Material 4,544,571/ Miller Method Of Manufacture Oct. 1, 1985 Of EMI/RFI Vapor Deposited Composite Shielding Panel 4,585,901/ Miller EMI/RFI Vapor Apr. 29, 1986 Deposited Composite Shielding Panel 4,690,778/ Narumiya et al Electromagnetic Sep. 1, 1987 Shielding Material 4,699,743/ Nakamura et al Method Of Recovering A Oct. 13, 1987 Heat Shrinkable Magnetic Shielding Article Over An Electrical Component 4,774,270/ Sullivan et al Coating For EMI Sep. 27, 1988 Shielding 4,831,210/ Larson et al Shields For Electro- May 16, 1989 magnetic Radiation 4,896,001/ Pitts et al Anti-Electric Jan. 23, 1990 Protection 4,910,090/ Kuhlman et al EMI-RFI Shield For March 20, 1990 Visual Display Terminals 4,923,533/ Shigeta et al Magnetic Shield- May 8, 1990 Forming Magnetically Soft Powder, Composition Thereof, And Process Of Making 4,943,477/ Kanamura et al Conductive Sheet Jul. 24, 1990 Having Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Function 4,959,752/ Samarov et al Electronic Module RFI/ Sep. 25, 1990 EMI Shielding 4,971,846/ Lundy Thermoplastic Cylinder Nov. 20, 1990 And Process For Manufacturing Same 4,980,564/ Steelmon Radiation Barrier Dec. 25, 1990 Fabric 5,028,940 Koskenmaki Metal/Polymer Jul. 2, 1991 et al Composites ______________________________________
In no instance however do these materials comprise segregated toner fines obtained from photocopier manufacturing operations.
In short, insofar as the toner manufacturing art is concerned, there has been a failure to recognize or suggest the present invention and its attendant and several advantages, as discussed above.